Türkiye's Kızılelma UAV locks on F-16 in historic missile test

Türkiye’s unmanned stealth fighter jet, Kızılelma, has achieved a milestone by locking its aim on an F-16 and performing a direct hit in its simulated test fire using locally produced advanced MURAD AESA radar and firing a local air-to-air missile.

Baykar, Türkiye’s leading UAV manufacturer, has announced a significant milestone for its indigenously developed unmanned stealth fighter, the Bayraktar Kızılelma. The company stated on Thursday that the aircraft has completed a critical phase, proving its potential battlefield effectiveness, and has accumulated a total flight time during tests exceeding 55 hours.

The unmanned fighter jet’s recent flight took off from the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Centre in Çorlu, Tekirdağ. During the one-hour, 45-minute flight, the Kızılelma maintained an average altitude of 4,572 meters, performed a formation flight alongside F-16s, and successfully verified the integration of its national radar and munitions.

Two Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jets also participated in the Bayraktar Kızılelma Gökdoğan Missile Integration Flight and MURAD AESA Radar Performance Test.

One F-16 performed a close-range flight with the Bayraktar Kızılelma, showcasing the platform’s compatibility with manned combat aircraft. Concurrently, the second F-16 acted as the “target aircraft” as specified by the scenario.

The Test

During the test, Bayraktar Kızılelma detected an F-16 target at a distance of 48.2 kilometers using the ASELSAN-developed MURAD AESA Radar and locked onto the target.

The Bayraktar Kızılelma demonstrated a significant advancement in air-to-air combat capability. It performed a simulated electronic launch using the TÜBİTAK SAGE-developed Gökdoğan missile. In this virtual environment, the Kızılelma successfully neutralized a highly maneuverable F-16 target with a direct hit.

One of the most important parts of the test was the communication infrastructure between the aircraft, radar, and missile.

The Bayraktar Kızılelma, after successfully locking onto the F-16, immediately relayed the target’s location, speed, and other crucial information from its MURAD AESA radar directly to the Gökdoğan missile mounted on its wing.

Successful Validation

The successful validation of the data link between the Bayraktar Kızılelma and its ammunition marks a significant milestone in the unmanned combat aircraft’s ability to neutralize beyond-visual-range (BVR) targets.

During a historic flight over Tekirdağ, three different and challenging test scenarios were executed simultaneously. The F-16 formation flight showcased joint operational capabilities with manned fighter aircraft, providing insight into future air combat concepts. Additionally, the aerodynamic and avionic compatibility of the platform was confirmed with the Gökdoğan.

The detection, tracking, locking, and data transfer abilities of Türkiye’s MURAD AESA radar, which was activated on the same flight, were also demonstrated under difficult conditions.